Do you want to create your own website but don’t know where to start? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Many people want to have an online presence, whether it’s for personal or professional reasons. But building a website can seem daunting and complicated, especially if you’re not tech-savvy.
Fortunately, making a website is easier than ever in 2023. You don’t need to know how to code or design. You just need to follow some simple steps and use some helpful tools. In this guide, we’ll show you how to make a website from scratch in 2023, even if you’re a complete beginner.
Here are the steps you need to follow to make a website:
- Choose a domain name
- Pick a web hosting service
- Install WordPress
- Select a theme and plugins
- Add content and pages
- Customize your website
- Publish and promote your website
Let’s go through each step in detail.
- Choose a domain name
A domain name is the address of your website on the internet. It’s what people type in their browsers to visit your website. For example, google.com is a domain name.
Choosing a domain name is an important step because it represents your brand and identity online. You want to choose a domain name that is:
- Relevant to your niche or topic
- Easy to remember and spell
- Short and catchy
- Unique and not trademarked
You can use a domain name generator tool like Namecheap or GoDaddy to find available domain names that match your criteria. You can also check the availability of different extensions, such as .com, .net, .org, etc.
Once you find a domain name that you like, you need to register it with a domain name registrar. This is a company that sells and manages domain names. You can register your domain name with the same company that provides your web hosting service (see step 2), or with a separate company.
The cost of registering a domain name varies depending on the registrar and the extension, but it usually ranges from $10 to $20 per year.
- Pick a web hosting service
A web hosting service is a company that provides the space and resources for your website on the internet. It’s where your website files and data are stored and accessed by visitors.
Choosing a web hosting service is another important step because it affects the performance and security of your website. You want to choose a web hosting service that is:
- Reliable and fast
- Secure and trustworthy
- Affordable and scalable
- Compatible with WordPress
There are many web hosting services available in the market, but not all of them are suitable for beginners or WordPress users. Some of the most popular and recommended web hosting services for WordPress are:
These web hosting services offer different plans and features depending on your needs and budget. You can compare them on their websites or read reviews from other users.
The cost of web hosting varies depending on the service and the plan, but it usually ranges from $3 to $10 per month.
- Install WordPress
WordPress is the most popular and widely used platform for creating websites. It’s a free and open-source software that allows you to build any kind of website you want, from blogs to e-commerce stores.
WordPress is easy to use and customize, thanks to its user-friendly interface and thousands of themes and plugins. It’s also SEO-friendly and mobile-friendly, which means your website will rank well on search engines and look good on any device.
To install WordPress on your web hosting service, you need to follow these steps:
- Log in to your web hosting account and go to the control panel.
- Find the WordPress installer tool (usually under Softaculous or Fantastico) and click on it.
- Select the domain name where you want to install WordPress and enter some basic information, such as site title, username, password, and email address.
- Click on Install and wait for the process to complete.
- Congratulations! You have successfully installed WordPress on your website.
You can now access your WordPress dashboard by typing your domain name followed by /wp-admin in your browser. For example, www.yourdomain.com/wp-admin.
- Select a theme and plugins
A theme is a collection of files that determines the appearance and layout of your website. It controls how your website looks like on the front-end.
- Add content and pages
Content is the most important part of your website. It’s what attracts and engages your visitors and provides them with value and information. Content can be in the form of text, images, videos, audio, etc.
To add content to your website, you need to create pages and posts. Pages are static and permanent pages that display information that doesn’t change often, such as About, Contact, Services, etc. Posts are dynamic and timely articles that display information that changes frequently, such as Blog, News, Updates, etc.
To create a page or a post on WordPress, you need to follow these steps:
- Log in to your WordPress dashboard and go to Pages or Posts.
- Click on Add New and enter a title for your page or post.
- Write your content using the WordPress editor. You can use different blocks to add different types of content, such as paragraphs, headings, lists, images, videos, etc.
- You can also use the sidebar to adjust the settings and options for your page or post, such as categories, tags, featured image, etc.
- When you’re done writing your content, you can preview it by clicking on Preview or publish it by clicking on Publish.
You can repeat these steps to create as many pages and posts as you want for your website.
- Customize your website
Customizing your website is the fun part. It’s where you can make your website look and feel the way you want. You can change the colors, fonts, backgrounds, menus, widgets, logos, etc.
To customize your website on WordPress, you need to follow these steps:
- Log in to your WordPress dashboard and go to Appearance.
- Click on Customize and you will see a live preview of your website with various options on the left side.
- You can use these options to change different aspects of your website, such as Site Identity, Colors & Backgrounds, Typography, Header & Footer, Menus & Widgets, Homepage Settings, etc.
- You can also use the Additional CSS option to add custom CSS code if you want more control over the design of your website.
- When you’re happy with the changes, you can save them by clicking on Publish.
You can also use some plugins to enhance the customization of your website. Some of the most popular and useful plugins for customization are:
- Elementor: A powerful drag-and-drop page builder that lets you create beautiful and responsive websites without any coding.
- Jetpack: A suite of features that adds security, performance, social media integration, and more to your website.
- WooCommerce: A plugin that turns your website into an online store where you can sell products and services.
- Yoast SEO: A plugin that helps you optimize your website for search engines and improve your ranking and traffic.
- Publish and promote your website
The last step is to publish and promote your website. Publishing means making your website live and accessible to the public. Promoting means spreading the word about your website and attracting visitors and customers.
To publish your website on WordPress, you need to follow these steps:
- Log in to your WordPress dashboard and go to Settings.
- Click on General and make sure that your site title, tagline, URL, email address, timezone, etc. are correct and updated.
- Click on Reading and make sure that your homepage displays what you want it to display (your latest posts or a static page).
- Click on Permalinks and make sure that your URL structure is SEO-friendly and easy to read (we recommend using Post name).
- Click on Save Changes and your website is ready to go live.
To promote your website on WordPress, you need to follow these steps:
- Create high-quality and relevant content that provides value and information to your audience.
- Use SEO best practices to optimize your content for search engines and improve your ranking and traffic.
- Use social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. to share your content and engage with your audience.
- Use email marketing tools such as Mailchimp or ConvertKit to build an email list and send newsletters and offers to your subscribers.
- Use analytics tools such as Google Analytics or Jetpack Stats to track and measure the performance of your website and make improvements accordingly.
Congratulations! You have successfully created a website in 2023. We hope this guide was helpful and easy to follow.
